Talcher, Odisha : In a significant crackdown against illegal firecracker storage, Talcher police raided multiple locations and seized crackers worth nearly ₹5 lakh. During the operation, police arrested six accused and produced them before the court, tightening the noose on the unlawful firecracker trade in the region.
Angul Superintendent of Police Rahul Jain ordered the raids after receiving intelligence inputs on illegal stockpiling of explosives. Acting promptly, Talcher IIC Digvijay Vishal formed a special team under the supervision of SDPO Bharat Chandra Sahu. The team conducted simultaneous raids at different sites where the banned crackers had been stored.
Police reported that the seized firecrackers carried a market value of approximately ₹5 lakh. The crackdown not only removed a huge cache of potentially dangerous material from circulation but also safeguarded public safety during the festive season.
The six accused arrested in the case include:
-
Jagabandhu Das of Santhpada village under Talcher police station
-
Saroj Kumar of Ballar village
-
Prakash Sahu of Talcher town
-
Dilip Das of Santhpada village
-
Shubham Kumar Behera of Radharamanpur village
-
Rohit Kumar Pradhan of Pithapur village under Kaliyari police station
Police officers confirmed that all six are now in custody and facing court proceedings.
The successful operation involved the active participation of SI Debrabrat Nayak, SI Tushar Kant Mahant, ASI Haresh Dalai, ASI Bimal Gochayat, Constables Mitrabhanu Bhoi and Nirmal Chandra Dehuri, along with several other personnel. Their coordinated action ensured the safe seizure and arrest of the culprits without incident.
Officials highlighted that storing such a large quantity of firecrackers in residential or commercial areas created a serious threat to public safety. Police authorities also pledged to continue raids across Talcher and Angul district to dismantle illegal firecracker networks.
The Talcher police urged residents to stay alert and report suspicious activities linked to illegal cracker storage. With this operation, law enforcement delivered a strong message that unlawful activities endangering community safety will not be tolerated.
